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Throwing in the Towel with my k5 (LS1)

Kocher93

Kocher93

1/2 ton status
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Location
Campbell, CA
I am sick and tired of trying to get my 350 tbi to where I want it. So skipping a headache I'm probably moving to a bigger one. I want to swap my 350 tbi out of my 1989 k5 for a LS1 5.3.
I saw a company called BD Turnkey Engines that can give me a whole set up for 2k. So I've read over some threads and I have a few questions about this swap.
I imagine I need a more suffceint fuel supply. Do I need a higher pressure pump? or a whole new line? Can I keep my current tank? Motor mounts, who makes a good one?

So correct me if I'm wrong, but I need the motor which comes with everything hooked up (including pedal) and good to go with just three wires to connect. Motor mounts, a thicker flywheel to my current tranny, a TV cable set up for the new throttle linkage geometry. The new fuel supply/line. Anything I am missing or is it really that straight forward? Please say it is.
 
Kocher93 said:
I am sick and tired of trying to get my 350 tbi to where I want it. So skipping a headache I'm probably moving to a bigger one. I want to swap my 350 tbi out of my 1989 k5 for a LS1 5.3.
I saw a company called BD Turnkey Engines that can give me a whole set up for 2k. So I've read over some threads and I have a few questions about this swap.
I imagine I need a more suffceint fuel supply. Do I need a higher pressure pump? or a whole new line? Can I keep my current tank? Motor mounts, who makes a good one?

So correct me if I'm wrong, but I need the motor which comes with everything hooked up (including pedal) and good to go with just three wires to connect. Motor mounts, a thicker flywheel to my current tranny, a TV cable set up for the new throttle linkage geometry. The new fuel supply/line. Anything I am missing or is it really that straight forward? Please say it is.
Click to expand...

Is this an offload only rig? Your gonna be in it a couple thousand more to make it legal and pass smog
 
Smog is not an issue, I have a guy for that one. But at least if a cop pulls me over with a 5.3 vs a built 350, I can say it's a smog legal swap. Plus I do want the reliability.
 
Replys in bold.
Kocher93 said:
I am sick and tired of trying to get my 350 tbi to where I want it. So skipping a headache I'm probably moving to a bigger one. I want to swap my 350 tbi out of my 1989 k5 for a LS1 5.3.
I saw a company called BD Turnkey Engines that can give me a whole set up for 2k. So I've read over some threads and I have a few questions about this swap.
I imagine I need a more suffceint fuel supply. Do I need a higher pressure pump? or a whole new line?

You can use the EP381 fuel pump. Its a direct swap for the original tbi one but puts out the fuel pressure needed for the vortec.

Can I keep my current tank?
yes

Motor mounts, who makes a good one?

I used CarShopInc mounts. They are $50 plus shipping. Others have had good luck with the dirty dingo mounts at $100 but they are adjustable.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but I need the motor which comes with everything hooked up (including pedal) and good to go with just three wires to connect.

You dont NEED to get a complete setup like your talking about but it would make it alot simpler and usually cheaper in the long run.

Motor mounts, a thicker flywheel to my current tranny,

Nope but you will need a flex plate spacer. I forget the part number and such but i think it was like $50. I think its on the first page of my swap thread.

a TV cable set up for the new throttle linkage geometry.

The TV cable will depend alot on if you get a drive by wire or drive by cable throttle body setup. Either way im not the best at saying what to do there. If you end up with drive by wire, you have to run the cable into the cab to hook up to the pedel.
The new fuel supply/line. Anything I am missing or is it really that straight forward? Please say it is.

You will need to figure out what to do for cooling. You can run the stock fan from the vortec motor like i did or you can upgrade to electric fans. Other than that, alot of it will be based on if you just want the motor in there and running or if you want it to come off like a factory swap and have everything seem like it was the original motor. By that i mean the speedo/speed sensor/gauges/ AC/ etc.
Click to expand...
 
Hmm so the package im looking at it has a drive by wire, cant i just run the tv cable to the throttle linkage on the throttle body
 
Drive by wire means there is no cable physically going from pedal to throttle body. Instead, the pedal is just a position sensor. The computer reads the pedals position and then sends a signal to an electric motor on the throttle body which opens it a corresponding amount. That being the case, tthere is nowhere on the throttle body to mount a tv cable.
 
A guy down the street tryed to do this, it's just easier to use the cable throttle with a 700-r4 and the throttle cable fits right in the factory hole in the firewall.But you still may have to find a custom sized TVcable.
\Or go to a 4-l60e trans.
 
buefchris said:
A guy down the street tryed to do this, it's just easier to use the cable throttle with a 700-r4 and the throttle cable fits right in the factory hole in the firewall.But you still may have to find a custom sized TVcable.
\Or go to a 4-l60e trans.
Click to expand...

X2 on running the 4l60e. The 700r4 is not worth the effort and money spent to hook it up.

The 4l60e is designed to run behind the 5.3L, holds up nicely and makes the driveabilty way better. Eliminates extra spacers and stuff not to mention hooks directly up to your existing 700r4 shifter linkage and transfer case.
 
I would go a 4l60 E, but I have a new 700R4 from monster Transmission so it'd seem very pointless to replace it. Is there any way to run the tv cable with a drive by wire setup?
 
Okay, I jumped the gun. I can get a drive by cable so that is awesome. Does this mean I can retain my original pedal? and how long did your LS1 swap take? Thanks for helping me out on all this I've been looking at threads left and right, just need to clarify on a few things before I open a can of worms.
 
Yes you can keep your original pedel. My swap took two months and for the record, the only engine that is an LS1 is out of the lik 97-00 cameros and corvettes. Thats it. Everything else is not an ls1 but a derivative of the LS1. For example, the 02 suburban 5.3 that i put in my truck is an LM7. The same vehicle with a 6.0 would have a LQ4. There is all sorts of other ones out there. L33, LQ9, etc. Most people refer to all these engines as LS engines becuase they belong to the LS family. But, as i said before, unless your engine actually comes out of the 97-00 cameros and vettes, then it is NOT an LS1. Just thought i would clarify that bit for you.
 
Kocher93 said:
Okay, I jumped the gun. I can get a drive by cable so that is awesome. Does this mean I can retain my original pedal? and how long did your LS1 swap take? Thanks for helping me out on all this I've been looking at threads left and right, just need to clarify on a few things before I open a can of worms.
Click to expand...

If you have all your parts available, have all the tools you need and know what you need to do, this would be a weekend swap, then drive it to the exhaust shop Monday kind of a deal.
 
Alright, very cool. So I'll refer to it as an LS motor? instead of an LS1. I will have absolutely every ready for this swap and will have me plus two hands. Thank you for clarifying all of this guys.
 
Yea, mine took about 2 months also. Thats after I thought I had everthing I needed.
 
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